The Secret Science Club presents Visual Neuroscientist Ben Backus, Tuesday, December 8 at the Bell House

At the back of the human eye, the retina is smaller than a penny and tissue thin. Yet it contains 100 million neurons. When the eye is open, the retina constantly transmits information on edges, angles, motion, and light intensity to more than 30 areas of the cerebral cortex. How does the brain process and interpret all this visual stimuli—and are our perceptions reliable?

Cutting-edge vision scientist Ben Backus of SUNY discusses how our brains learn to “see,” whether perception is linked to emotions, and optical illusions that are both illuminating and trippy.

Before and After--Groove to synesthetic tunes--Try our cockeyed cocktail of the night, the Parallax View (You’ll see the world in a whole different way . . . )--Participate in the laser-sharp Q&A

--PLUS, stick around for a live set of holiday melodies with the band LA STRADA

The Secret Science Club is curated by Dorian Devins, Margaret Mittelbach, and Michael Crewdson. Dorian Devins is an NYC-based jazz singer and lyricist, and the former host of WFMU's “The Speakeasy.” Margaret Mittelbach and Michael Crewdson write about nature in the strangest of places; they are co-authors of Carnivorous Nights and Wild New York.